After more than forty years, the inner treasury of the Puri Jagannath temple, called the 'Ratna Bhandar,' was opened on Sunday. The Odisha government gave permission the day before.

This happened during the temple’s annual 'Rath Yatra,' a festival for the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. No repairs or inventory of the jewels inside the treasury were done immediately.

A temple committee member said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will check for damage after moving the jewels. This will happen later.

There is a legend that snakes guard the treasury's valuables, but no snakes were found. There was also no water leaking through the walls, contrary to what Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb claimed last year.

Jewels from the outer Ratna Bhandar were moved to a secure room, said Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Jagannath temple. Inventory of the inner treasury's jewels will be done later.

Teams from the ASI, snake charmers, snake rescuers, and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) were there to open the treasury. One company, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was also there to manage the crowd.

The teams wore traditional loincloths and performed rituals before entering the treasury. Hindu gods Lakshmi and Shiva were worshipped, and the head priest of Puri’s Lokanath temple oversaw the rituals.

The keys to the lock didn’t work, so the lock had to be broken, said officer Parhi.

At least five red and yellow chests were brought to the temple. Jewels from the outer Ratna Bhandar are kept in these chests until repairs are done.

Justice Biswanath Rath, head of the committee for the inventory of the jewels, said the treasury was opened at 1:28 pm on Sunday, and 11 people entered. A new lock was placed, and a new key was given to the treasurer.

There was frustration among the crowd as visitations were stopped and barricades were set up around the temple compound.